Grand Lake in Mercer County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Grand Lake sits in Mercer County, out in Ohio. It sits in mixed forest country. At roughly 20.1 sq miles it ranks among the larger waters in the region. The outline is moderately broken, so there is usually a lee somewhere. It is one of the larger waters we list anywhere in Ohio. Celina sits 4 miles from the bank. Further out sit Saint Marys (6 miles) and Coldwater (7.5 miles). The county edge is within a short distance of the bank.

• Where to Fish on Grand Lake

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. A reservoir gives you a hard edge, a shelf, and not much else. Held water runs deepest at the wall and shallows back to the inflow. Records held for Mercer County cover orangespotted sunfish, common carp, freshwater drum and white bass. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. Grand Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate records put July near 74°F and January near 25°F. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. Count the season from break-up, usually mid March. Expect the water usable from around mid March until roughly late December. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. Grand Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. No made access is recorded, so a short walk in is the likely arrangement. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. If the gate is shut, Lake Loramie at 14 miles is the nearest alternative. Rules at Grand Lake are worth checking on the day.